(Bugout.news) With so much government surveillance these days, many Americans are afraid to even utter the words “prepper” or “survivalist” in mixed company, let alone type it online and do a search to find out more about such movements and activities. But there are a number of reasons why you should overcome that fear and either actively seek to join a so-called “prepper” group or form one yourself among friends and neighbors.

Here’s the thing: If you’ve already been involved in prepping or survivalist activity, Uncle Sam likely already knows it. Your purchasing habits, your social media and other activities have “highlighted” your interests, so to speak, and that has flagged you.

But you shouldn’t let it bother you and here’s why: Because on many levels, the government appreciates a population that is more and more prepared for any contingency or emergency. Why? Because the more of us that are prepared to face calamity means there are fewer of us depending on the government to meet our basic needs – a government that will certainly have its hands full, and quickly, in any SHTF scenario.

If that weren’t true, then the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency would never have developed the National Preparedness System, which “is to provide the whole community with information to help understand what it means to be prepared and how to do it effectively.”

After all, the formation of a group whose goal is to survive emergencies is not “anti-government” or “fomenting rebellion;” it is an effort aimed at ensuring you, your family and friends are as equipped to handle an emergency as you can possibly be; in a catastrophic situation, the government will need as many of us as they can find to help restore order and rebuild.

So, with that in mind, here some reasons why it makes sense to either find a prepper group to join or to form one yourself:

1. There is strength in numbers: There is also a greater possibility of personality conflicts and so forth, but that’s why you need to form or join a group now, before a crisis – so you can weed out those who don’t want to cooperate or who have an inability to work and play well with others. Otherwise, for the most part, a group of people with diverse backgrounds and skill sets make it more likely you will find ways around problems and issues.

Also, a group can pool resources like food, water, medicine, equipment and self-defense. Some in your group may already have land and a bugout location; others may have better and more firearms; still others may have stored more food and water; some may have medical expertise – and so on.

Just keep in mind, and try to make others understand, that your overarching goal is survival of the current bad situation.

Human nature has always been to form alliances when the chips are down, especially enterprising Americans, so in a bad situation there will be trust issues with regard to “outsiders.” But a tight-knit group of friends who have left their egos at the disaster site will go a long way towards ensuring that all of you will survive intact.

2. Bugout – or bug in? This will largely depend on the type and scale of the emergency or disaster.

Obviously if you’re in a massive earthquake zone it may be more practical for you to leave the area rather than remain where you are and have to deal with the pitfalls of collapsed communities (like roving bands of armed rivals, no electricity and so forth). The expected duration of the emergency or disaster will be a mitigating factor, as will the personal destruction to your home and neighborhood, obviously.

The same is true if you happen to be in a major city, as most Americans are. Societal collapse with no hope of a quick restoration will quickly turn your city into a zone of war and chaos, with depravity the likes of which you’ve most likely never seen and which will be difficult to handle.

But if the situation is regional – that is, there is some sort of unrest or chaos in only one part of the city or the disaster is limited in scope, then bugging in is probably your better bet. Get with your group and discuss what triggers your group members have for bugging out and/or bugging in. Since everyone’s situation is different, you’ll be surprised to find what motivates people to do what they will do. And it will also give you an idea of who will be left in your group if A, B or C happens.

3. If you do bugout, make a plan: This may seem obvious to you but it might not seem obvious to other members of the group or, at least, it’s highly likely that if everyone has a bugout plan they are probably individual plans and not group plans. Coordinate with your group members and find out where they planned to go and why; see if you can develop a singular plan for all of you or, at least, as many of you as possible. See Reason 1 above.

4. Defend in place: If the country has suffered a major event and you decide to remain where you are, understand that chaos will follow and very quickly. It very well could be less dangerous for you and your group to remain in your immediate vicinity, but that will mean you may have to defend your homes and your neighborhood from roving bands of ne’er-do-wells.

You and your group should quickly organize, so you know how many people you will have. Next, take stock of your inventories of supplies and make a distribution and rationing plan right away. Then, after assessing available means of self-defense, define the parameters of that defense – that is, how many blocks you’ll defend and where you’ll draw your lines in the sand – and make a plan, using your available personnel, to form patrols, post guards and establish lines of communication. Your cell phones may or may not work; there may or may not be functional electric grids, running water and so forth.

Finally, keep watch for authorities and, when you finally make contact, assure them you and your group are no threat and offer whatever assistance you can give, because that will definitely be appreciated.

There are other reasons to form a prepper/survivalist network now, before there is an emergency, including building neighborhood gardens, sharing information and teaching each other skills. You should welcome the opportunity to form or join one, because if life as we know it takes a dramatic turn for the worse, the government will be the least of your worries (and you will be the least of theirs).